Let's play pretend
by casinocalavera
Summary: Mavis, please down from heaven, because Juvia Lockser lost all interest in him.
1. Prologue

_"It's not what I need,_  
_ No, your love's not what I need,_  
_ So don't give it to me."  
— **Arctic Monkeys, Evil Twin.**  
_

* * *

It had been weeks since _the_ incident.

Juvia decided to name like that, since she couldn't bring up the courage to place it under the label of "rejection". Sighing and putting a hand on her face, she tried to remove those thoughts from her mind. _It was weird_. Just like that. It was weird to return to the guild, to see the face of the person she loved and remember what happened during the dance after the Grand Magic Games.

_"I don't."_

That simple sentence echoed all the time in her head. That phrase that made her eyes water. And yet, she had to put a smile on her face, raise her chin and praise _him_. After being a lot in bed, sleepless nights and thoughts, Juvia decided. If Gray Fullbuster doesn't need her love, she doesn't need him. Her first thought was hitting herself for having such thoughts. She felt she was betraying Gray-sama! But after that, and remembering the words that crushed her heart, make her more than determined.

So that's why she stood facing the mirror, with a new dress and a new hairstyle.

Maybe it wasn't a new version, but she felt nice.

Instead of her usual outfit, Juvia wore very short pants, which showed her long and sharp legs. And in good addition, she showed the guild mark on her thigh. And not only that, she also was wearing a very casual white blouse, with lace and plunging neckline. She had her hair loose. She wore no hat, and some unruly strands framed her face perfectly.

_"I'm going to start saying no to things I don't like."_

The bluenette sighed again.

She shook the clothes a little, and looking in the mirror again, she went out of Fairy Hills.

* * *

Gray blinked.

By _Mavis_ skirts! He must be hallucinating! In no way, or universe, Juvia Lockser would be searching for missions in the board, let alone dressed like _that_. Some of the men of the guild helped her to choose a mission, and for _help_, Gray knew that they were trying to have a _move _with the water mage.

The raven haired closed his fist around his drink as he watched these idiots talking with her. It was only when Juvia, in an attempt to put her hands together —obviously, embarrassed—, made involuntarily her breasts pop a lot more.

The magician's eyes went straight to her cleavage.

The ice mage couldn't handle that.

He rose from his seat like a spring, and in less than what someone could shout "Gray", he was covering the body of Juvia from harassing looks. Probably all the guild fell silent. Probably his glare would warn them to stay away. But at that time he didn't care.

He cleared his throat, and raised an eyebrow.

"Don't you have anything better to do?" Was all he said. The other members of Fairy Tail muttered things under their breaths, but eventually went away. After a few minutes of awkward silence, the guild returned to normal.

Gray turned to face Juvia. He hoped that she was happy, talking about fantasies and how he was her hero. But instead, Juvia was watching him with a raised eyebrow. The mage blushed, thinking about his stupidity. He swallowed then, and put a hand in the back of his neck.

"Oi, Juvia. Why are you wearing those clothes?" He asked, hoping again that Juvia would respond with fantasies and ideas about wanting to impress Gray-sama. However, her answer left him shocked.

"Because I want to."

He blinked once, then twice and finally, he open his mouth.

Why she was speaking in first person? Why she was responding so serious without a smile on her face? Gray watched shocked as she returned her attention to the board of missions. As if she was reading his mind, Juvia tilted her face and watched him for a few minutes.

Her lips parted.

"Your clothes, Gray."

And she walked away, with a mission request in hand, leaving a very dazed Gray. The magician watch as she went to the bar, said something to Mira —about the mission, he guess—, and finally he saw her leave the guild.

_"What the fuck just happened?"_

* * *

_Spanish is my native language, sorry for the mistakes. Please be kind and point them out for me, please!  
So... Hiro Mashima, I hate you. Gray, I hate you too.  
Fairy Tail doesn't belong to me.  
I will update this story twice a week. It will be basically about how Juvia would drop off her fangirl state, and become more mature. Seriously, Mashima is making her just a comic relief. Anyways, I don't hate them! I just had all this feels... I really hope to see more Gruvia moments in next chapters. And if this is really the end of the ship, I'll go down with it._

Please review! This is just the prologue. I had the first chapter alredy done, and let me tell you: Juvia being badass is fucking insane.  
Thanks for reading!  
~ casinocalavera, **06/07/13**.


	2. Starry Sky

_"Can't you see,_  
_ I beg and plead,_  
_ Cause when your eyes light up the skies at night,_  
_ I know you're gonna find your way back to me."  
**— The All-American Rejects.**  
_

* * *

The first thing Gray saw as he enters the guild that morning was the colossal skeleton head of a rare kind of animal. Warren and Wakaba were in front of that _thing_, talking animatedly. The ice mage approached them, watching closely the skull of what appeared to be an exotic animal.

"What the hell is this?" He asked to no one in particular, but Warren cleared his throat.

"It was a gift from a client." He answered, thoughtfully.

"For who?" Gray pursed lips. It was very uncommon for clients to give away things that easy, much less a colossal head that was very frightening. He turned to them, waiting for an answer.

"Juvia. She just returned from her mission." Wakaba was the first to speak.

Gray's heart stopped.

His two mates went on talking, but he was no longer paying attention. Juvia had returned? Gray barely had time to say goodbye to her before a mission that lasted at least one month. When he was saying goodbye, the water mage simply nodded, and went no further. During that time, the raven haired was out to small missions in the city. These missions were to forget the emptiness he felt for some strange reason. At first he thought it must be his brain playing a joke —a really bad joke—, because no way in hell he would miss Juvia. She was very... obsessive. He thought that mission so long would give him a break from her, but _oh_, he was so wrong.

He returned to reality, and apologized to the two, going straight to the bar where Mira was.

The woman served him the usual, and once Gray got comfortable, he took the courage to ask her.

However, before he could ask the question, Mira smiled.

"If you're looking to Juvia, is with the other girls in Fairy Hills. They are arranging for the festival. " And she pointed to the little starts hanging from the ceiling of the guild.

_Shit._

He almost forgot! It was the festival of the stars. Fairy Tail, as the winner of the Grand Magic Games, would host a party to celebrate the festival. The guild had been decorated since days ago, and the celebration would start in a few hours.

"I was not looking for her."

He lied, and he could see the disappointment on the face of the mage.

"Well, Erza is looking for you. She said she needs a serious talk with you. "And Mira walked away with a smile on her face.

_I'm a dead man._

* * *

Juvia sighed happily.

She dropped into her bed, arms and legs outstretched. She had returned from an S-class mission successfully that she had taken with the permission of Makarov, the guild master. She had almost forgotten what those kind of missions were interesting! It was very simple, really. She had to travel by train for a long time, but the battle she won and the reward was worth it. And not only that, the clients give her a small gift, —which was, ironically, the head of the beast that tormented the village—, and they also give her a fancy dinner in one of the best places in the city.

It had been fun, but coming home was the best.

The water mage moved her face a little, and looked at the ceiling, then the walls and finally her wood desk. Where once there were pictures and things related to Gray, now there was nothing. The walls were completely clean, and there was no more _plushies_ to the sight. Juvia had accepted it: it was very difficult for her to get rid of him.

But now it was different.

_She was different._

No more broken hearts. No more obsessive love towards Gray Fullbuster. She still loves him, as her nakama. Just as he loved her. But it was time to grow, mature and accept that the ice mage never return her feelings. She had talked to Lissana, and she agreed it was time to leave all that behind. Juvia return to his behavior she had in Phantom Lord, ignoring most of the man, except for Gajeel-kun.

A knock on the door made her stop your thoughts.

"Juvia, it's me!" Lisanna's voice echoed through the room, and Juvia jumped, opening the door with a smile on her face.

"Lisanna" the woman greeted with a hug, and invited her to come in, closing the door behind her.

Her friend had in her hands a plastic bag with clothes.

"Try on this, I know you would love it!"

* * *

Gray looked in the mirror.

He wanted to save his last memory before Erza shatter it. Despite of the popular opinion, Gray used to dress well. Just like now, where he was wearing a very elegant black tuxedo, tie the same color that perfectly matched her hair and his _bad boy_ personality.

He sighed.

How long he was looking himself in the mirror? Twenty minutes? Thirty minutes?

He didn't know why, but he wanted to be extremely presentable for that night. In other times and other situations, Gray would go with the first thing he could find on the floor of his messy room. But now, what he most wanted was to look good. Who he wanted to impress? His brain told him to anyone, but his heart kept telling that all this he did was for Juvia. He hadn't seen her in a month, it was logical that he would like to impress her. That he wanted to see her smile and hear her laugh. That she embraced him as a lifeguard and eventually, Gray could return the hug so he could smell her hair.

The ice mage stopped.

_What the hell had just thought?_

He shook his head and finished arranging his tie. A knock on the door and the shouts of Natsu had warned him to leave early or they would arrive late. He cursed under his breath, and mentally prepared for the events of the night. Erza would kill him. Although he didn't know the reason, if she wanted to talk seriously with him, was because he was a jerk. He grunted again and looking in the mirror one last time, went straight to the festival.

* * *

"Juvia, you look beautiful!" Lucy's voice made the bluenette turn her face. "I almost didn't recognize you" The blonde gave her a hug, and Juvia smiled with flushing cheeks.

"I can say the same for you, Lucy." The water mage gave her a warm smile, and then she felt a gentle hand being placed on her shoulder.

"You both look gorgeous." Titania said, and Lucy and Juvia smiled at her. The woman had gone on a dangerous mission with Jellal Fernandes. No one had heard from them in a few weeks.

"Erza! We knew you'd be back so soon." Lucy admitted with her hand to her neck. The redhead laughed and hugged both magicians by the neck.

"I wouldn't miss the festival. Also, I heard that Juvia completed an S-class mission alone. Is that true, Juvia?" The scarlet woman said.

"Yes. It was a long mission, but I'm happy to help the clients. They were very kind to me."Juvia said, and confirmed the scarlet suspicion. Juvia had stopped talking in third person, and she wasn't trying to spy on Gray.

They talked for a while, and Juvia had to apologize to get something to drink.

She quickly dismissed her, and saw her heading for the bar drinks.

Erza smiled. Another person was in the bar as well.

* * *

He was speechless.

He had seen her by chance, because he didn't expect anyone in the bar at the same time as him. Gray stopped, totally petrified. He was certain about one thing: Juvia looked _lovely_. He had always noticed, as usual in a guild, there will be always cute girls. But Juvia wasn't just cute. She was beautiful. And that night, under the light of paper lanterns, and with the background sound of the festival, she looked gorgeous.

Her outfit was very sexy.

She wore a white strapless top. The top blended with two lines to the sides that fit her nice curves, exposing at the same time her flat stomach, and the lines ended on a very revealing skirt that reached her ankles. The guild mark was there, contrasting so perfectly with her porcelain skin. Her hair was loose, and she wore a headdress along with something like a bridal veil.

_She was __mesmerizing__._

She was just beautiful.

Gray could die at that time. He had seen the paradise in person, and no matter what Erza did to him, he was happy.

"Juvia!" He shouted, and the girl turned to him. The raven haired cut out any distance between them and smiled.

He was hoping, again, that she acted as always. That she hold him like a fangirl and everything. But she only smiled slightly.

"Is good to see you, Gray." Juvia said, leaning toward the ice mage to brush her cheek with his.

Gray felt his whole face was burning. Because, _come on_, having a cute girl this close, with nobody watching them and she dressed like that... hell, if Juvia keep dressing like that, Gray Juvia would have problems. Many problems.

When she moved away from him, however, Gray saw something in her neck.

_A love mark._

He felt his body tense, and his whole world fell apart.

* * *

_Spanish is my native language, sorry for the mistakes. Please be kind and point them out for me, please!_

_**Thanks to starrystar02, Lilith Shiro Yuki, , 13lackKitty, yagami rin, Missjennifer54, Darkhope, SheRa-ver, Elibe for the reviews! **_

_This chapter is inspired in Tanabata. In my work we celebrated the festival and I got inspiration from there. The outfit that Juvia is using here is basically the one that Morgiana (from Magi: The Laberynth of Magic) used in the anime.  
_

_Also, I'm a bad person. You know, I'm having a hard time writing in english. Anyways, here's chapter one! I actually liked more the prologue, tho. Forget what I said about updating twice a week. I'm on my vacations now, so... probably I'll update everyday. Please review! Thanks for reading!  
~ casinocalavera, **08/07/13**._


	3. Butterfly, fly away

_"Come back and tell me why,_  
_ I'm feeling like I've missed you all this time,_  
_ And meet me there tonight,_  
_ And let me know that it's not all in my mind._"  
_**— Ed Sheeran, Everything Has Changed.**_

* * *

Gray just couldn't believe what his eyes saw.

Her neck so pale, with that soft skin was marked by someone else. A mark that meant she wasn't his, that she belonged to someone else. He watched her for a long time, disbelieving. Juvia Lockser, the girl who had confessed her love after the games, the same girl who stalked him and prepared _bentos_ for he had been with someone else. The rival of his childhood rival came to his mind, and suddenly, the ice mage felt an uncontrollable rage towards Lyon. He closed his fists, and bowed his head, covering his face with his bangs.

"How could you?" He whispered.

His whole body was tense and it seemed that Gray would explode at any time.

"What?" Juvia replied, not really knowing what he meant. "Gray..." She tried to put a hand on his shoulder, but the raven haired repulsed her hand quickly.

"Don't play dumb with me!" He practically shouted at her face. Now the boy's jaw was totally tense, and on impulse had grabbed Juvia's arms, burying his fingers in them. "How can you go around with that on your neck? Where is the love that you confess to me? You change so you're your boyfriend, don't you? Who was, Lyon?"

Juvia at this point, was shaking. She had turned her face to avoid face him.

"Gray-sama, you're hurting me..." Juvia whispered with her voice breaking.

That was it.

The ice mage grabbed her shoulders. His face was only fury.

And then, he just sent everything to hell.

He bent down and kissed her.

It wasn't a warm or loving kiss. He was rough. Gray's lips didn't wait for Juvia respond to the kiss; he threw over her, kissing her lips furiously. Also, he had held more tightly and roughly, to prevent her escape. He bit her lips skillfully to make her open her mouth, and to introduce his tongue into her cavity.

His brain told him to stop; he was getting out of control.

But his body was acting on its own. Because he could finally feel her close to him, her body pressed against his own and those lips that tasted just like the sea. Just as his hand was up by one of her sides, he felt something warm on his cheek.

It burned.

When he opened his eyes, he was surprised that he had received a smack on his cheek.

Juvia was crying. Tears streamed down her face, and her lips that had once been pretty pink were totally red from friction, and she had finger marks on her bare arms. Gray stood still for a moment, before realizing what he had done.

_He practically raped her._

He felt something warm crashed into his back and his face. But this time it wasn't Juvia's hand. A water slice hit him. _Splash, splash, splash_. The water burned his skin, but he didn't care. He couldn't take his eyes off the bluenette. She wasn't crying anymore, and she was responsible for manipulating the slices. She even managed to take him down to the ground, before returning to attack him with multiple attacks.

"I loved you!" She screamed, and hit him again. "I gave you everything! You turned me down like a dirty rag, and you didn't mind breaking my heart into pieces. You know what this is? Do you know?" She pointed the hickey, and closed her small fists. "It was a bastard like you during the mission. I sent him flying in a single movement. It wasn't something I wanted, Gray."

In that moment, guild members were gathered in the distance, watching the scene.

Juvia leaned over, and holding him by the shirt, stared directly into his eyes.

"Touch me again and I'll be sure that you can't be able to see the light of day, Fullbuster." And she let him go. Gray's head hit the ground, but he was more frightened by the change of personality that Juvia had. It was... different. There wasn't smiling and she hadn't melted by the stolen kiss.

H watched her go, directly to the service rooms.

_He was an idiot._

The things were even worse.

He covered his face with one hand, watching the ceiling.

"Man, I think you're screwed."

It was Natsu. His friend helped him up. Lucy was with him, and out of the corner of his eye he could see Erza with Jellal. He was about to run to the services to apologize, but someone gave a punch in the jaw.

Gray was taken back, somewhat surprised by sudden punch.

Gajeel was watching him with anger.

"Do that again and you're a dead man."

It was the only thing the dragon slayer said, before turning on his heels to pursue Juvia.

* * *

"Damn, Juvia!"

Gajeel hit the door… again. Juvia ignored him, and kept her eyes on the mirror that was in front of her. She grimaced. Her face was swollen, but she wasn't crying anymore. She played with the tips of his fingers just above the mark she had obtained during the mission. She hadn't lied to Gray about it: the idiot really believed that she was an _easy girl_. Juvia didn't let him, and sent him flying with serious injuries.

Gray's reaction, however, was worrying.

He never acted that way so… rampant.

He didn't when Lyon was near, and surely he had never been concerned about the marks of love of her guild mates. The girl sighed, and adjusting the _yukata_ sleeves, and retouched her makeup very quickly.

"Rain Woman, if you don't open the door I'll come in by the force." Another knock on the door, and Juvia rolled her eyes. She looked herself in the mirror, and opened the door.

Gajeel was leaning against the door frame, very serious.

Juvia raised an eyebrow, and cleared her throat.

"Don't just stand there, help me tie my _obi._"

The dragon slayer complained but Juvia's eyes were enough to accept. He spun her around, and with patience and care, he tied the heavy fabric around her waist several times until he made a neat bow. The water mage adjusted some details, and she smiled.

"Thank you, Gajeel-kun." Juvia stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek.

"Yeah, whatever..." Gajeel reluctantly replied, wiping the remnants of lipstick that were left on his cheek. "You've changed." It wasn't a question, but a statement. Juvia tilted her face and bit her lip.

"Juvia thinks... no, _I_ think the change is good." She admitted, and tied her hair in a high ponytail, tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear. "Don't you think it looks nice, Gajeel-kun?" The woman spun on her feet, very happy.

"What do you think I am? A fucking woman? C'mon, the festival will end soon, ya' know." His best friend shook his head, muttering things about "the bloody women", and got out.

Juvia followed him, but not before smiling for his personality.

_I hope Gajeel-kun confesses his feelings to Levy-chan!_

* * *

"I think you should apologize."

Gray was out of his thoughts, and he watched with a raised eyebrow how Natsu was eating something weird.

"Apologize?" He asked, because at any moment his friend had gone from being an idiot to talk very seriously.

"To get all possessive with her, you know." Natsu paused, getting another piece of food in his mouth. "You aren't dating... right?"

"No, but ..."

"Then you don't have to be like a crazy boyfriend. Dude, you said terrible things to her. "

The ice mage considered his words. Natsu was right. If Juvia and he weren't dating, he mustn't care what she did with her body. However, the idea of another man touching her made him very angry. Juvia was his, why did they not realize that? He buried his face in the palms of his hands and groaned.

_And now must hate me._

He not only shouted that she had been whoring around, but he violated the personal space of the mage. He touched her not caring if she was hurt or not. If she hadn't stopped him, he could even rape her. The thought of harming Juvia scared him. He, who always had a cold personality, lost his limits with a pretty girl.

_A pretty girl that was hurt._

Gray let his head crash into the wooden table, and got up after a few minutes.

"I have to find her."

"Where are you going, Ice Freak?"

Natsu's voice reached his ears like a far cry.

* * *

Juvia wrote her wish, pleased with herself.

Gajeel-kun and she had returned to the festival, and after assuring everyone she was fine, she remembered that she hadn't placed her wish in the wishing tree. She took a piece of paper, some ink, and went directly to where the tree was located.

Her wish was rather silly, really.

With a fine calligraphy, her paper said "Being part of Fairy Tail." Nothing more. There were no wishes to marry Gray-sama, or something about her love rivals. Everything had changed for her.

She smiled to herself, and put a ribbon in the paper hole, to hang on the tree that had enough wishes. It looked beautiful. The colored lights, the tree full of cherry blossoms, the wishes tied with colored ribbons... it was the most beautiful thing Juvia would ever seen Juvia. She carefully hung the paper, on a branch that seemed weak but it was actually very strong. She bowed her head and asked the gods —or Mavis, in either case— that her wish actually became real.

When she turned, however, she frowned.

Gray Fullbuster was standing a few feet away. By inertia, Juvia adjusted the yukata, covering her chest and crossed her arms. Being the old Juvia, she would jump to him with hearts in her eyes, asking him to tell her his wish. But now Juvia wasn't interested in the man who hurt her. It remained still for a moment, waiting for him to speak.

When he didn't tell anything, Juvia shrugged.

She went right by his side, and stopped a few inches away.

"Goodbye, Gray." Juvia said, with watery eyes.

"Hm." Was all he said.

Juvia thought that it was enough. He was again the cold guy without showing emotions. The bluenette cleared her throat, and continued her way. They seemed strangers. As if all the things that they shared weren't real.

_This is the best, Juvia. This is the best._

She didn't turn back. She didn't say more. Juvia simply closed her eyes and kept walking.

* * *

After all the confusion with Juvia happened and most of the guild members went to their homes, Gray hung up his piece of paper on the wishing tree.

"I wish I could tell you how I feel."

* * *

___Spanish is my native language, sorry for the mistakes. Please be kind and point them out for me, please!_

Hello again! This is a quick update; I had so many feels with this chapter. I couldn't believe that Gray is just a jerk. AGGGGH. SO TSUNDERE! Poor Juvia, she wasn't trying to make him angry. The "love mark" was actually a mosquito bite in my draft AHAHAHA. She's fucking badass! I love when she go in yandere mode, you know. Anyways, thank you so much for the support and the reviews! You make me very happy!

_**Thanks to yagami rin, Elibe, BrigitteoO, IndigoHailstorm, SheRa-ver, Esthellar, CapriciousKrego (you actually guessed about the love mark!), Darkhope, starrystar02, Yumeko nee, isis-roth, NamikazeMia for the reviews. And thank you, silent reader for read this fic!.**_

___~ casinocalavera,_******09/07/13**.


	4. What If

_"And does it get on your nerves,_  
_ Make you slightly perturbed,_  
_ That there's things that you don't know about her?_  
_ And even the places that she's never been with yer,_  
_ seem awful empty without her."_**— Arctic Monkeys, What If You Were Right The First Time?**

* * *

Gray took his fingertips to his lips.

He sighed again, and opened his eyes.

The memory of the kiss with Juvia was not far from his mind, even though he tried. Although she hadn't reciprocated the kiss, and even when he received the beating of this life, the ice mage had enjoyed that night. He couldn't lie about it. Gray was a fool, but he wasn't _that_ stupid. He knew he had feelings for Juvia, but it was too soon for him to return those feelings. He was a bad boy, _c'mon_! He was the guy who was cold and insensitive with others. During his time in Fairy Tail none of the girls had caught his attention the romantic way.

Sure, he had other girls at his feet.

But Juvia was not like those girls.

The feelings suck. Because she probably expected a declaration of love. He just wanted Juvia to be... Juvia. Not a girl obsessed with her crush. He wanted to go out on dates with her, without the water mage taking her imagination to extremes. But it seemed that with each step he took, she walked away. In addition, he didn't like this new version of Juvia —where she didn't act as a fangirl—. And Juvia didn't realize, but other men had their eyes on her like a piece of meat. The mage only wanted to kill them.

Right, because she was his.

He would never admit that on public, but for Gray Fullbuster, Juvia Lockser couldn't belong to anyone else. She was part of him. And honestly, the mage was beginning to wonder if he could live without her.

All those days were pure hell.

If she was not on a mission, was in the guild doing different things. There wasn't stalker moments, or meals with Gray. She just sat in her usual place, spoke to Levy about girl stuff and then she would leave. In some of those times, Gray could see that she was watching him. When Gray returned her gaze, she looked down, apologized to their mates, and left the guild in a hurry.

_Girls._

Gray never would understand them.

He let out a yawn, and he got up from his bed. It was another good day. Gray decided to take a break from the missions. With the success of Fairy Tail in the Grand Magic Games, everyone was taking missions like crazy. Most of the guild members were out, and so the guild was mostly alone on the mornings. He could go without worrying about the creepy looks of Gajeel.

Putting on the first thing that was on the ground, he left his house.

* * *

Erza glared at him.

The boy swallowed hard, trying to dodge the woman. He had avoided her all this time, for somewhat _obvious_ reasons. The last thing he wanted was being punched by Erza for being so stupid with Juvia. Gray sighed, feeling the woman's hand pulling him by the force, to take him to the second floor of the guild, where they would have more privacy. The ice mage first observed Erza, then the second floor, and finally back to Erza.

"I know, I know, I'm an idiot." Gray shook his hand, placing it on his face. He cursed in protest, and leaned against the bulletin board.

"Is not like that, Gray." The Titania spoke, her tone more serious. "She... is losing interest. She's changing." the mage said, crossing her arms.

There was silence for a few seconds.

"I know." Gray murmured, turning his face to avoid eye contact with the scarlet mage.

"You don't understand, Gray. It's not just her attitude. She talked to Lucy about leaving the guild." Erza was careful with her words, but equally Gray's body froze.

Juvia...was leaving Fairy Tail? That was impossible. She loved the guild, it was her family. Furthermore Gajeel couldn't leave, right? They were close friends, and he loved Levy. Juvia couldn't leave.

_Shit, shit, shit._

Erza, getting no response, continued.

"I don't understand why you did it, but..." The redhead moved a little, and her face was serious, like never before. "You must apologize and make things clear."

Another silence.

Gray could feel his heart beat slowly.

"No." He then spoke, and looked up. "You don't understand, Erza." She was about to answer, but Gray interrupted. "I was about to lose her because of her obsessive personality. She never listens. You know that. Ultear, Ur... Juvia is equal to them. They would give their lives for me." He paused, and his jaw tightened. "What would have happened if I had not taken her off the way? Or if she was the one saving of me?"Gray, on impulse, hit the wooden surface of the board. "It hurts, Erza. Knowing that she would do anything for me, no matter what. And I'm a jerk. I can't express how I feel for fear."

"Gray..." Erza whispered, trying to reassure him.

"I have been dreaming with that day. I try to keep her away. But with every step I take, I realize how much I miss her. "The boy said with sincerity.

There was a long silence, and then he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"There's no reason to keep people away from you. Don't you think that after all that has happened, you deserve happiness?" Erza smiled and looked down. "She's Juvia. Maybe this new version is weird, but you did it bring happiness to her before, right? She wouldn't stop loving you, Gray. I've seen people fight for love, and Juvia is definitely one of them. It may be a bit crazy, but she would never do anything to hurt you. "

The ice mage smiled a little.

Erza continued.

"You did a lot of things you shouldn't. Don't you ever do something stupid like that, Gray. Or I'll kill you." The woman waved her hand, and said briefly:" Try to fix it. She knows you, knows you do not act like that."

And she went down the stairs, with a smile on his face. Someone had been watching from behind a column.

* * *

He was sure of two things.

Mira had put something in his drink, that was the first thing. And the second thing... Juvia Lockser wasn't at his side, moving the chair closer to him and stamping her bag with books on an empty spot. That drink that the mage had given to him in the morning had a funny taste. Gray didn't know if it had drugs, or if Mira was losing her touch. It was probably both. Because, no way in hell, the girl who had nearly killed him days ago, could be reading next to with him. He rubbed his eyes, first watching Juvia —who had a raised eyebrow at him— and then returning his gaze to his drink. He accidentally spilled some liquid on the table at such an intrusion of personal space, and now his pants were wet.

_Great._

He cleared his throat, and pretended that he wasn't taken by surprise.

"Oi, what are you doing here" he asked, and his eyes tried to find a water source. Was he going to die? He couldn't die, he was too young. He wasn't even done with many things in his life. What about Lyon? Who would feed the cat from the alley near his home?

"I'm reading, Gray. I didn't know that stupidity was infinite. You should return to your room to play with clay, or eat it, what kills you first." She answered vaguely turning the pages of her books and marking pages that had something interesting.

Gray gulped.

He was going to die.

"There aren't other places available. It was sit with you or with the new guy who smells hair. I guess it would have been better with the new guy... "Juvia sighed and threw her head back, still seeing him.

"Thank you, that was very... informative." The raven haired rolled his eyes and bowed his head. He began playing with a lock of hair that fell gracefully over his eyes, and with the corner of his eye, he noticed Juvia's neck. There was no trace of the love mark he had seen during the festival. He smiled to himself, and continued to watch her. She wore his reading glasses, which were thick and black. She also had her hair down. Gray loved when her hair was loose. In missions and at her time of Phantom Lord, she used to use rare forms. The mage thought about touching it. It must be very smooth. Juvia was a girl and girls used a lot of hair products, right? He thought about it smell. Maybe he could smell it if they were very close, perhaps reading something by her, or as they kissed...

Gray groaned in protest.

He tried to return to his drink, trying to not pay attention to the girl, but when she leaned to her side, to find a book from his bag, the mage could swear that her skirt had risen more than necessary. He was flooded by the feeling of wanting to open the palm of his hand to cover the newly exposed skin area, but he held back the feeling. She turned again, and _for the love of Mavis_. Her lips were parted, and Gray first noticed how small they were, and the nice pink they had. The glasses went down the bridge of her nose, and she ran his index finger to put them gently into place.

Didn't she know the effect she had on him?

Gray could lift her little body and bring her into a closet, and bite her lip to not make any noise because they were in the guild after all.

What?

He had thought about having sex with her. She was an attractive girl and he was a healthy boy with needs, and good, his dreams insisted in telling him that having sex with Juvia was the best thing in the universe. He thought about what would happen if something like the festival happened again, obviously with her being empathetic to his feelings. But she hadn't feelings for him. And he didn't love her, right? He thought about what Erza had told him earlier. Make things clear? Yes, he wanted Juvia, as a friend. They were _nakamas_, they cared for each other.

However, it was different.

He sighed, and when he returned her gaze to her, she was watching him somewhat strange.  
Had he been seeing her all that time? He coughed a little, and jumped a little, nearly causing him to fall off the chair where he was.

"What?" she asked, tilting her face.

"Nothing, I'm allergic to hormones." He apologized and wanted to hit himself for that stupid answer.

"What hormones?" Asked the girl, stretching her arms in the air.

"Mine." Gray said, returning his gaze to his drink unfinished. He heard something like a _«whatever, Levy-chan is waiting for me»_ and he observed bite her lip, closing the book and putting off her glasses. The bluenette cursed under her breath, and dragging the chair, stood up.

She left without saying goodbye.

Once she disappeared through the door of the guild, Gray released the air from his lungs, and looked down at his pants where a discomfort persisted. He groaned aloud, and let her head slammed into the table.

Juvia Lockser would be the death itself.

* * *

"I just ran into your girl." The voice of his friend made to return his attention to the people in the guild.

They were having a party... again. Gray had left the main hall, looking for a drink for him and Loke. They were in the kitchen, and his best friend had just arrived for personal reasons —he, apparently had a date— and just when he met Gray, the two went to pour a couple of drinks.

"Juvia?" He asked, leaning his back against the wall, framing an eyebrow.

"Gray, did something happen than I should know about?" Loke asked himself pouring himself some food.

Then Gray told him everything.

Just from the Grand Magic Games until the day of the festival. He omitted important details —like his dreams of her and how much he missed—, but tried to be as accurate as possible. His friend listened intently, nodding from time to time and asking casual things. When the story ended, Gray took a big gulp of his drink, and let out a big sigh, with a bit of nervousness.

"I think you should do something. Take her against a wall and kiss her again." His friend also took a sip of his drink. "There is the possibility that she return the kiss. But if not, at least you tried. Otherwise, you will lose her. "Loke smiled broadly.

Everything seemed to "click" inside the head of Gray.

_He was in love with Juvia._

Because even if she was crazy, that would make him smile. He was more than willing to spend a lifetime in hell if he was allowed to have her in his arms, feeling her warmth against his body, knowing that in one way or another was connected with her. All relationships begin like that, right? Being strangers. Becoming friends. And then, lovers.

Gray closed his eyes, and crushed the glass on the table.

And he smiled, because the answer he was looking was in front of him all the time.

"Where did she go?" He asked, holding her friend by the shoulders.

"Fairy Hills, probably walking." Loke grinned, and watched the clock on your wrist. "Go ahead, I have a date anyways".

Gray laughed, pushing his way through their guild mates.

* * *

_Spanish is my native language, sorry for the mistakes. Please be kind and point them out for me, please!  
I'm so sorry x_x I'm having too much work, I can barely write a draft in my luch time! Anyways, this is a very rushed update! I don't know. I was expecting Gruvia moments in this arc, but it seems that only Team Natsu has the spotlight. -sigh- anyways, Mashima... I seriously don't like Lucy's boobs, please stop. _  
_The next chapter's name is "A Kiss Before Dying" so... tell me what you expect! _  
_Thank you so much for the reviews, you really keep me happy! _

_Thanks for reading!_  
_~ casinocalavera, **13/07/13**._


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